KOZHIKODE: Sandwiched between Kozhikode and Kannur districts of Kerala, Mahe could likely throw up an amusing political scenario, courtesy the local political compulsions that are at variance with the scene in Kerala.
The CPM, which is locked in a tough fight with the Congress in Kerala, is likely to ask its cadre in Mahe to back the Grand Old Party. Mahe assembly constituency, which has about 32,000 voters, is part of the Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency.
The INDIA bloc has fielded Congress leader V Vaithilingam, former chief minister of Puducherry and sitting MP, to take on Minister for Home and Education A Namassivayam of the BJP.
The CPM has declared that all avenues should be explored to ensure the BJP’s defeat wherever possible. If the party sticks to the stand in Puducherry, party workers in Mahe will be voting for Vaithilingam even as their comrades in neighbouring constituencies – Vadakara and Kannur – will be striving to defeat Congress candidates Shafi Parambil and K Sudhakaran, respectively.
“We are fighting the elections as the United Democratic Secular Front (UDSF) in Mahe, of which Congress and IUML are main constituents,” said Ramesh Parambath, Congress leader and Mahe MLA. “Unlike in the past, a good number of CPM voters do not harbour any antagonism towards the Congress this time.”
There are two local committees in Mahe and Palloor, which are under the Thalassery area committee of the CPM. As a spill-over of the political climate in Kannur and Kozhikode, the CPM workers have an inherent dislike for the Congress.
“Earlier, the CPM had fielded its own candidate in Mahe for the Lok Sabha elections to respect the sentiments of the party cadres,” Ramesh recalled
“The Congress is directly taking on the BJP this time. The Muslim cadres of the CPM may not like a split in the anti-BJP votes in a crucial election that is going to decide the future of the nation.”
Sunil Kumar K P, Mahe local committee secretary of the CPM, said the party had fielded its own candidates in the past. “In the last Lok Sabha elections, we supported the party launched by film actor Kamal Hassan,” he said. “It is up to the Kerala state committee of the party to take a decision on the election strategy as we come under the Kerala unit. A decision will be taken soon considering all the factors.”
Mahe will go to polls in the first phase of the elections on April 19. “The campaign is moving at a slow pace here, and we hope that it will gain momentum with the UDSF convention, to be held next Sunday,” said Ramesh.
“We use the DMK flag, which leads the front, in the campaign. In some places, we also use the flag of the CPI, which is a part of the INDIA bloc. However, the CPM flag has never been used during our campaigns.”
Holy protests!
Night marches against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have become a convenient campaign tool for the CPM in Malappuram district in the month of Ramadan. The mode helps the Muslim cadres to take rest during day time in the hot season and to become active after breaking the fast in the evening. Most often, the night marches are taken out after the Taraweeh prayers. Small groups taking out marches with burning torches in their hands has become a ubiquitous scene in the district.
